Years & Years - “If You’re Over Me”
One of my greatest pleasures in life is being able to use music to escape from reality. Singles and subsequent albums can provide a way out for myself and many others, but artists like Years & Years are truly using their records to create brand new worlds for you to delve into.
With the release of their most recent singles, ‘Sanctify’ and ‘If You’re Over Me’, Years & Years have ushered their fans into the world of Palo Santo. The band’s social media has been hinting at and slowly building up the story and setting of their new record in the form of news reports and transmissions, causing a massive stir within all who listen. The gist of it, is that the world of Palo Santo (meaning Holy Wood) is inhabited by androids while humans are scarce and mostly live in hiding; that is until the androids capture them and use them for their entertainment.
The music videos for both of the latest singles continue that story and show frontman Olly Alexander being captured by the androids and being showcased. One of the biggest themes of the music video series is that of the longing to experience true emotion in a world that can feel emotionless. As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, the lack or over-representation of emotion in queer media, especially when it comes to negative or sexual experiences, is something that is rampant in my life. Olly has made it a point to show a full range of life and emotions within the music and visuals that he helps to create for the band, and that’s one of the main reasons why Years & Years is so important to me.
‘If You’re Over Me’ may be Years & Years’ most poignant music video to date. It’s no secret that the songs on the new album are real experiences belonging to vocalist Olly Alexander. Being an out and proud gay man who speaks rather frankly about mental health, politics and current issues - he’s not afraid of putting himself out there nor does he shy away from using his platform to help make the positive changes he wants to see in the world. ‘If You’re Over Me’ is testament to that.
It’s only in recent years that LGBTQ+ relationships have been portrayed in music videos, we’ve come a long way but we still have so much work to do. All too often the storyline in LGBTQ+ music videos is overly cutesy or it’s hyper sexualised, rarely is it ever a depiction of the all round romantic experience, one that helps communicate the equality message.
Now, here’s where we break it down and explain why ‘If You’re Over Me’ is such an important work of art. You could call the music videos so far, mini epics - not just videos to accompany music, but small films in their own right. ‘If You’re Over Me’ features a voice over from Dame Judy Dench and outfits from Ashish and Gucci, the attention to detail in this production is what makes the following point so vital.
It covers gay male sexual attraction, love and heartbreak so realistically that it’s not the main focus of the video. Nothing is over the top for the sake of controversy- and whilst there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, we love a statement… it’s such positive representation that it’s almost blase. Instead my eye is drawn to the glitter and sequins, the seamless choreography, the angelic vision that is Olly Alexander and I am invested in the story itself.
Music videos like ‘If You’re Over Me’, bands like Years & Years, and icons like Olly Alexander are truly giving the world what it needs. Media that is genuine, accepting, wide-reaching, and generally lovely is almost an added bonus when you look at the activism and visibility that is the backbone of everything they do and I know for a fact that they have touched countless hearts. Including the hearts of the 2 queer friends who wrote this piece. Make sure to follow Years & Years on social media as they gear up for the release of their new record!
https://yearsandyears.com/
Written by Aimee Thompson and Ashton Carr
